Green papaya salad with fried snapper

I love papaya! Growing up in Dominica, I considered myself fortunate to have two papaya trees in my backyard. They were treasured trees that always delivered papayas year-round, which my parents would share with our neighbors, family and friends.

Before moving to California, papaya salad wasn’t something I was interested in exploring. I only ate papaya ripe as a delightful fruit, green—in stew, curry, boiled in braff (broth) or sancouche. In my childhood, eating papaya raw would’ve been met with a jeer. It’s just something we didn’t do back then.

Since moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ve gotten to appreciate papaya salad, mainly because it’s served in some Asian restaurants that I visit. The restaurants serve the Thai version that is made with palm sugar. However, I put a spin on my recipe and changed it to make it more savory and with fewer ingredients.

The ingredients I used are straightforward—Lemon juice, salt, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, green onion, and roasted peanuts.

If you have access to green papaya, I strongly recommend the salad. It’s not only delicious, but It’s also loaded with antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, fight disease and help keep you looking young.

Here’s how I prepared my green papaya salad to eat with fried yellow tail snapper: